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Old machinist at a shop in Denver convinced me to stop chasing perfect surface finishes
He showed me a bracket he made 20 years ago that still worked fine with tool marks all over it, and said 'pretty doesn't cut parts, flat does.' Got me thinking about how much time I waste on cosmetic stuff that doesn't matter for function - anyone else over-polish their work?
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drew_park21d ago
The old timer I learned from had a similar rule. He'd say "God gave you a file for a reason, that reason ain't making it pretty." I used to spend hours on parts nobody would ever see after assembly. Finally snapped out of it when I realized I was sanding a bracket that went inside a wall. Now I just focus on fit and function. If it's clean and it works, that's good enough.
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grantschmidt20d ago
@lisak26 spot on. But deburring is still just making it pretty too. That bracket worked fine as cut.
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lisak2621d ago
Simple rule I follow - if it's getting bolted down or hidden away, it gets deburred and nothing else. Saves me hours a week and parts work just as well.
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